iPhone 18 Pro may get DSLR-like variable aperture function

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We are roughly two years away from the iPhone 18 series. Apple launched the iPhone 16 series featuring Apple Intelligence only a few months ago, and only recently have the iPhone 17 leaks started picking up pace. Yet, we already have an iPhone 18 Pro leak. 

According to a blog post by the revered Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, the primary camera of the iPhone 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max will offer a variable aperture.

iPhone 18 Pro’s variable aperture could provide more control over depth of field

Variable aperture means the users will be able to control the amount of light that passes through the lens and reaches the sensor. 

Take the most recent iPhone Pro models, such as the iPhone 14 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro, and the latest iPhone 16 Pro, which offer a fixed aperture of ƒ/1.78, and the lens is always fully open and shooting with this widest aperture.

Variable aperture is a high-level feature usually found on professional DSLR and mirrorless cameras from Sony, Nikon, and Canon.  

If the report is accurate, the iPhone 18 Pro will be the first in Apple’s history to offer a variable aperture, allowing users to control the depth of field more effectively.

However, smartphones usually have smaller image sensors due to size restrictions, so it is unclear how meaningful this improvement can be. 

This isn’t the first time Kuo has made this claim. The analyst made the same claim last month.

However, today, he added that Dutch manufacturer BE Semiconductor will supply assembly equipment for the aperture blades, the mechanical part that controls how much light passes through the lens. 

The variable aperture was previously rumored for at least one iPhone 17 model. However, Kuo believes the feature is slated for the iPhone 18 Pro models. 

While Kuo has an excellent track record, we are unsure how accurate this report is. So, take the information with a grain of salt.

The iPhone 18 series is roughly two years away, and if variable aperture is indeed coming to the Pro models, we will get more verifiable information before the launch.

Do you think this will be enough of a jump to make the iPhone 18 Pro stand apart from the vanilla model? We would love to hear what you think about this possible feature in the comments below, or via our Twitter or Facebook.